A full-scale bus shutdown, Black Friday and a climate strike could lead to a messy situation in Vancouver this week.
Another climate protest is set take place around the world on Friday afternoon, including an event dubbed Futurefest outside of Vancouver City Centre Station and along Granville Street.
Friday will also be the third day of a full-scale strike by bus drivers and maintenance workers, if a new contract is not reached in their ongoing labour dispute. As of Tuesday afternoon, Unifor and the Coast Mountain Bus Company were locked in last-ditch negotiations to avert the three-day bus strike, set to start Wednesday.
It will also be one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Black Friday is not a holiday in Canada, like it is in several U.S. states, but many stores are still offering major discounts, and retailers are expected to be busy.
TransLink said Monday it expects an extra 36,000 cars on the roads over the three-day strike, and that while SkyTrain will be unaffected, it could be busier than usual.
READ MORE: Post-secondary students make plans to sleep at school, hire buses ahead of transit strike
READ MORE: Union, Coast Mountain head back to the bargaining table as bus walkout looms
READ MORE: Check on elderly neighbours as Metro Vancouver transit shutdown looms: care providers
